Intel is also working on their own discrete GPU. They've already announced their
14nm prototype discrete GPU based off Intel 9th Gen iGPU.
Intel says it plans to "aggressively expand our computing and graphics capabilities" and to "build a leading position in the [PC] graphics market with integrated and discrete graphics solutions for a broad range of computing segments".
It's still prototype, so actual product specs are speculative. But Intel's focus seems to be efficiency over performance and distributed scaling over fixed scaling. What this means is that these GPU chips are meant to work as both standalone and combined-synergy parts.
Apparently Intel has expressed interest in exploring the possibility of replacing iGPU on CPU die with GPU embedded on mainboard.
Awesome sauce for consumer desktop CPUs! Still have that handy built-in GPU fallback (for when you actually do ever rarely need it) but don't have that unused iGPU bloat eating a big chunk of your precious CPU silicon, put more actual CPU stuff on the CPU die or greatly improve power/thermal efficiency on CPU die, it's win-win.
Apparently Intel is exploring ideas like making these GPUs socketable, meaning that motherboards would have an Intel GPU socket or even multiple Intel GPU sockets. And they've already announced their desire to make daughterboard GPUs, meaning one (or more) GPUs socketed or embedded on expansion cards.
(What a great idea!)But Intel's focus here is mostly enterprise, not consumer. So I think the idea is motherboards populated with GPUs and multi-GPU PCIe cards that are damned impressive at crunch tasks (workstation, server, video processing, maybe even cryptomining) but probably ain't gonna hold well against their Titan counterparts in gaming performance. Still, for all we know, Intel might have decided they're gonna make the next XBox into an NVIDIA-stomping beast.
One of the GPU-integrated features is digitally-controlled low dropout regulators - with the unfortunate acronym "DLDO" - which has commandeered media focus and generated a lot of dismissively inane commentary. I'm sure Intel will address this technical problem before the product launches.
Looks like FrankIntel Inside is too distasteful when money can made, lol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAau3zuf8io
"All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." - Douglas Adams
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